Fluid coupling



June 12, 1945- R. C. ZEIDLER FLUID COUPLING .Filed April 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet I z llllllllllllllllllz June 12, 1945. R. c. ZEIDLER FLUID COUPLING Filed April 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. C. ZEIDLER FLUID COUPLING June 12, 1945.

Filed April 5, 1941 3 Shets-Sheet 3 regions` Patented June 12, 1945 s p "2,378,353, jf-

l s *l neiniiiii c. 'z'fiaiea Detroit, Mien., 'assigner' io' Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a cor.'

poration of Illinois Application'April 5, 1941, Serial'No. 387,019 A (Cl. 60-54)V l l l 4 Claims. This invention relatesgto hydraulic couplings y of the vane'd type. y

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved iluid coupling which is lighter and less expensive to make, and which incorporates a mechanical-shock absorbing function is a drive shaft 'to which is boned a casting ii which is welded to a stamped housingzl2. A secto'eliminate vibration'` and shocks duringlow slip conditions. l

A specific object of this invention is to provide a fluid coupling wherein the vanesarefree 'of the khousing defining thehydraulic circuit so as to'be able to moverelativelythereto'in such Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling` having flexible vanes with means on each vanedeiining a core ring.

Another object of this invention is to provide v at simplified mounting means for each vane so as 'fto make unnecessary the use of elaborate and expensive special welding equipment. n These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the vfollowing description when taken together with `the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryside elevation yin section of a iluid coupling which represents the preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryfront elevation showing the flexibility of the vanes:

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a pair of flexible vanes having a section of a core ring attached thereto, one of said vanes being in section;

Figs. 4 and y5 are respectively side andtop views of a ilexible vane having a section of a core ring attached thereto, the latterview being a. section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are front, side andv sectional views of a modification of a flexible vane with a fragment of a core ring, the modification residing in' the method of attaching the core ring tothe vane; y l g Figs. 9 and 10 are front and side elevations of another modicationof a vane wherein the core ring is formed integrally with the vane and a stamped construction of mounting means is used;

Figs. 11,` 1 2 and 13 are side, iront and rear views of j yet another' modicationof a" vane wherein the ilexibilityfls limited by a ange formed at the edge of the vane; i

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section through a lvane of Fig. 12 taken along line I4-I4 thereof; and

Figs. 15 andl are front and side elevations ,respectively of a further "modification of vane.

Vl'ieferring now to a detailed description ofthe invention and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I0

ond stamping Il having the form show n in Fig. 1 is welded tovstam'ping I2 at I4 to form a iluidtight housing for the fluid coupling. Said housing deilnes a substantially toroidal container.

A. driven shaft I5 extends into the housing formed by'stampings I2, Ilv and supports a hub I8 at the forward orv inner end thereoisaid hub being spiined to the shaft so as to form a driving connection with the latter. Hub I6 is in turn supported from casting II by means of a bearing I'I. The outer periphery of hubv I6 is prolvided with slots Ila into which are fitted at flexible stamped vanes` I8 having the shape shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the outer portion I9 of each vane is of a substantially semicircular shape and that the radially inner portion is of substantially rectangular shape. The inner portion 20 is only partially received in slots I 1a so as to leaves. section between the outer end of hub II and the semi-circular `portion which is outside the working circuit of the coupling. yNo other support is provided for the vane and particularly no semi-toroidal shell is attached to the vanes as is customary in previous designs. For this reason the entire portion of the vane in the hydraulic circuit is free. In view of the relatively smaller width ofinner portion 20, the principal flexing will occur at this point.

xThe varies may be welded to the hub member I6 or they may be retainedby means of rings 2l which fit into circular slots formed in the hub and vanes. The rings 2| may be held in place by swaging over the ends of the slots.

The driving varies 22 may be exact duplicates of driven varies I9 and may be similarly held in a slotted hub member 23. Said member 23, however, is preferably made in the form of an annulus which is bolted to the side of a radial 4flange 24 formed instamping I3. An annular plate 25, is also bolted to flange 2l and serves `as an abutment member for a bellows type seal 26 which is inserted betweenplate 25and `hub I6.

The constructionv lustv described., possesses `a number of advantages which improve b oth the elliciency' and the operating characteristics of the coupling. By making both the driving and driven varies entirely vfree of the housing inthe working circuit and permitting the vanesto ilex outside the working' circuit, a* vibration dampeningA effect is secured. This effect is available when the car is coasting against the engine as well as when the engine isfdriving.' lThe elimination of a separate shell for the driven vanes increases the diam- In some cases it may be desirable to provide aV core ring for the coupling to assist i'n establishing a toroidal circuit for the fluid. This may be done in the manner disclosed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. It will be observed that the vane of Figs. 1 and 2 has secured to it a stamping 21 in the form of one-half of a cup. Said stamping 21 is comprised of a bowed section 2l adjacent the vanes and a flange section 29 which defines the fluid circuit. Bowed section 28 is secured to vane lll by means of a rivet 3i or other fastener which passes through the tangent portion of the sec-- tion. A lug 33 bent outward from section 29 passes through an opening 34 in vane 20 and prevents the section from turning.

The portion 28 adjacent vane 39 is made bowed in order not to interfere with the flexing of the varies. It will be noted that the circuitdefining portion 29 does not extend to the"adia cent vane. This permits each vane to ex individually and independently of its adjacent vanes. By making portion 29 considerably smaller than the distance between vanes as shown in Fig. 3 a slotted core ring construction is secured which increases the eiilciency of the coupling under certain circumstances.

Referring now' to the modification disclosed in Figs. 6, '1 and 8, a similarly-shaped flexible vane 95 is formed with a portion cut away near its center to form a semi-circular notch 98. A single piece of flexible sheet metal 21 which is curved to define a hydraulic circuit is secured to vane by means of tabs 28 which pass through apertures 39 and l0 in vane 3l. Both of the apertures are close fitting apertures to prevent radial movement of the core ring section with respect to the vane. Between the tabs. the edge of the core ring is cut away as shown at Il to form a concave surface. Said concave surface permits the vane to flex between the tabs and the exibility of the core ring allows for the difference between the length of a chord (the straight-line distance between tabs) and the arc (concave surface 4|) that the chord subtends. As in the modification' disclosed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the stamping I1 does not extend to the adiacent vane and it may in fact be short enough to give the effect of a slotted core ring. It is a lighter construction than that previously described land is slightly less expensive. l

Another modification of the flexible vane is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In this modification the vane I2 has an integrally formed core ring section 42 and a groove 44 which limits the flexibility and assists in guiding the fluid.

A modification of the hub member 22 of Fig. l is also disclosed in Figs. 9 and 10. The modification comprises an inwardly turned flanged ring which is secured to housing i3' so as to be rotatable therewith. Said ring Il is provided with slots l at the inner end thereof which receive'splines l1 formed in the ends of duplicate disc stampings I9 having offset outer regions 49.

aars,

I2 is received between the offset outer regions Il and is provided with tabs Il which t into slots l2 in discs Il. Additional slots 53 are provided at the periphery of the discs to receive the main body of the vane l2 which extends beyond the sides of rectangular section 59. Discs 4l may be retained in slots 4l by means of welds il. An unsupported flat region Il between the peripheries of the discs and the groove u in the vane permits a certain amount of flexing to occur in the vanos 42.

The support shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is less expensive than the ones disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, since it is comprised entirely of stampings. The diameter of the disc Il may be chosen to expose a greater or lesser amount of nat region 5| to give any degree of exibiiity desired in the vanes. The part of disc Il extending into the hydraulic circuit may serve as a baille to prevent the formation of shallow high velocity vortex circuits during high slip periods.

A second modification of the supporting means for the vanes is disclosed in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 togetherwith the specific vane form with which it may be used. In this second modification a hub member |56 is formed with a shoulder 51 which centers a pair of diverging discs 5l, 59 as well as an attaching sector il of a vane 6I. rivgest 82 secures all three of these elements to Vane tiy to be used with the above supporting means is formed with an integral flange 83 which serves to stillen the lower portion of the vane and also to guide the fluid around that portion of its circuit. At its inner edge, vane 6I is provided with tabs I4 which are received in slots 89 in disc 5I. 'ro-provide additional support for the vanes, disc i9 is sheared through the vane at 68 as shown in F18. 14 to insure the vane against Amoving rotationally with respect to disc 5l. It will be observed that if rivet 62 should loosen and if no such support were provided, the vane might tend to rotate about a line passing through the rivet and tab il. Still further support may be supplied by means of a wire hoopl 81 which may be slipped into a notch 6B located near the center of the toroidal circuits. The purpose of the hoop is to provide a further means of resisting the radial centrifugal force in the vanes and yet permit free side-to-side movement resulting from the flexing oi' the varies. The hoop is made of wire having high tensile strength butt-weldedto form a hoop of definite The substantially rectangular section lo of 'vane 75 diameter. In assembling the coupling the hoop is pressed into a circular groove in a fixture into which the vanes are subsequently assembled while the riveting or welding is being done at the inner ends. The vane assembly is then forced out of the fixture to allow the hoop to contract thereby creating a slight radially inward preload on all of the vanes.

As in all of the previous modifications no outer shell is used for tre vanes and at least a portion of each of the vanes is free to flex under the influence of the fluid.

A third modification of the support for the a,sva,sss

ber 13 which is designed to possess snfilcient rigidity to transmit the necessary torque without distortion. It will be noted that vane 69 is also flexible and that the ilexibility may be controlled by choosing the proper length and size of flange 1 I. As shown in Figs. l5 and. 16 the vane is ilexible in the region between core ring 10 and the outer edges of bame I2 and flange 1| as,v for example, along' the lines :r-. The outer region is also flexible to a limited extent.

It is understood -that the foregoing description is the preferred embodiment of the invention andy that lthe scope or the. invention is not to be limited thereto but is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. A nydmuie torque transmitting device com-l prising a driving vaned element, a driven vaned element, a housing rotatable with the driving element and enclosing the driven element. said 20 driven element comprising a hub memberand ilexible vanes extending therefrom said vanes having a flexible portion outside the working cir'- cuit of the nuid.

2. A hydraulic torque transmitting device as described in claim 1. said driving vaned element being likewise comprised of a hub member and exible vanes extending therefrom, said vanes having a flexible portion outside the working circuit of the fluid.

3. In a, hydraulic torque transmitting device a driving element comprising a hub member, a plurality of vanes drivingly associated with the hub member, said vanes having a iiexible region between the hub member and the hydraulic working circuit, a driving shell surrounding the driving vanes, and means for securing the shell to the hub member, a portion of each of said vanes being free to move angularly with respect to the shell to absorb torsional vibrations.

4. In a hydraulic torque transmitting device a rotary element having a plurality of vanes drivingly associated therewith, a portion` o! each of said vanesbeing movable relative to one another, and flexibly formed elements connected to at least some of the vanes and detlning a core ring, said vanes being iiexible in the vicinity of the elements. said elements presenting a concave surface to the vanes and being secured thereto at the two normal points 'of contact,-and said elements being independent of one another and movable with the vane connected thereto.

. REINHOLD C. ZEIDLER. 

